Save Me From The Pirates
by MidnightSchemer13
Summary: Katara is kidnapped by pirates, and Zuko saves her! But Katara has a strange disease and its haunting her; can Zuko save her again? The story of what happens next&whether or not Aang will let them have a happy ending! DISCONTINUED/Up for adoption. Sorry
1. Chapter 1

**Save Me From the Pirates**

_Hi. This is my first story uploaded, but I've fixed some errors in the first chapter. If you _DO NOT _like Zutara, well, you see that button up there? Underneath where it says _File, Edit, View, _and all that? It's an arrow pointing to the left, which is read by Westerners and several other people as _BACK_. Yep, it's the back button! Click to return to your previous page! Isn't it a great invention? Hahaha (sorry if that sounds mean, but I know a LOT of people do not ship Zutara) _I'd appreciate it if you didn't take any offense seriously. I just have a different perspective and way of communicating with the world :)_  
_

Constructive criticism is welcome. Feel free to email me if you want, I do write stories upon request or for birthdays. :)

_Flames feed the fire of my writing... possibly. _**Enjoy~!**_  
_

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Fire Lord Zuko sighed and looked up to the clear blue sky as if to call for help. Once again, Iroh had lost a Pai Sho white lotus tile, and was searching the entire ship for it.

"Nephew, maybe it is in your room!" Iroh said, and walked off toward Zuko's quarters. Zuko threw his hands up in the air and followed, annoyed that they were wasting time searching for a simple _lotus tile_. But, Iroh was his uncle, and when he was set on something, it was very difficult to change his mind without a good reason.

"Uncle, are you sure it's not in your sleeve like last time?" Iroh shook his head and continued searching. Then he got an idea.

"Captain, would you mind docking the ship at the nearest por t, please?" The captain nodded. "Yes, sir." Satisfied, the old general turned to his impatient nephew.

"Fire Lord Zuko, do you think you could find and buy another white lotus tile, please? Here's some money" he said.

Zuko, grumbling but glad that he would be on land for a few hours, accepted the money and offered a tiny smile at his uncle. He shook his head at his bodyguards, telling them that he wanted to go alone, but gave them permission to leave the ship for two hours. And with that, he left his ship.

The port was busy, with several stalls set up here and there, bustling with people who wanted to buy their merchandise. There were beautiful jewelry stalls, pottery stalls, food shops full of exotic fruits; it was a refreshing change to the iron grey, gold, and deep red of his ship. He searched for what seemed like hours, going to pretty much every store that would be likely to sell a Pai Sho tile, but could not find a single one. Frustrated, the Fire Lord turned to return to his ship, but then someone called out his title.

"Looking for something, your Highness?"

Zuko turned to the voice. He saw a thin, weasel-like shady man who was grinning. Zuko counted four gold teeth. He wore a ragged, red shirt, several pieces of gold jewelry, long black hair, old worn pants, a silk sash as a belt, and more than a few knives. _Pirate_, thought Zuko. He approached cautiously. The man seemed to notice his wariness, and shook his head, leering. "Your Highness, do not shy away! We will not kidnap or harm you, we would just like to show you some choice items that we have in stock today! Rest assured, you will walk free from this ship unharmed if you come in." _What the heck_, thought Zuko, _there IS a small chance that they have a lotus tile…_ The pirate ushered the Fire Lord in, and showed him to the first lower deck. There were small trinkets, like rings and useless pretty items, shells, carved ornaments, and tiny statues. Zuko looked all over for a Pai Sho tile, but the pirate did not have any. He was shown to the second lower deck (after all, it was a large pirate ship), and saw clothes and expensive silks, ancient scrolls, and furniture. A few more pirates came out and tried to persuade him into buying something. Zuko cocked his head, and said no. Tired, he made to leave, but the first pirate blocked his way. "Your Highness, do not leave yet, we have one more thing we would like to show you." Seeing that it wasn't a question, Zuko sighed and nodded. The pirates smirked and led him down to the brig.

Zuko stiffened. The brig was filled (but not completely) with men, women, and children, manacled and gaunt, looking up at him with pleading eyes. The Fire Lord's minds raced. On one hand, he could attack the pirates and free all the people, but he had no idea how many pirates there were, and even if he did free the slaves, where would they live or take shelter? On the other, he could invade the ship with his men and force the pirates to return the people. He looked at all the people and turned to the pirates. "Would His Highness like to buy a slave?" the man asked, his eyes menacing. _Never trust a pirate, never trust a pirate, never trust a pirate_ his mind screamed at him. Zuko opened his mouth to say no, but he saw a girl out of the corner of his eye. She was looking away from him, glaring at the pirates with ocean blue eyes. Her skin was dark, mocha colored, and she was wearing an increasingly familiar blue necklace…

"_Katara?_"

She looked up too fast and hurt her neck. Wincing, she lifted her hand up to her neck and rubbed it, and looked at the man who uttered her name. Katara's eyes went wide. Zuko pointed at her. "That one, and make it quick," he said in a cold voice. The pirates snickered.

"That 'un be a fierce 'un, Highness, ye sure?" snickered one of the older pirates. Zuko nodded and conjured a ball of fire in his hand, threatening them with it. The orange-yellow light burned brightly in the dank brig, and many of the chained people looked at it warily.

"I said, make it quick."

The pirates scampered, hurriedly unlocking the Waterbender's chains and leading her by a leash to Zuko, who paid them fifty gold coins. The pirates greedily snatched the money from him, grinning like drunken fools. The gold glittered in the fire's light. Zuko glared at them with disdain, and carried the girl to the top deck, and shot out a flame-signal, a billowing tower of blue-white flame reaching to the sky, narrowly missing the sails. Instantly, Fire Nation soldiers who had followed their Fire Lord just in case swarmed the ship, ready to attack. Zuko nodded a thank you at them and looked at the shocked pirates. "You know that the selling, buying, trading, and capturing of slaves is illegal! Therefore, as Fire Lord, I command you to return these people to their villages, towns, and cities, and never again deal in slavery! Damned pirates." He said, his voice dripping with contempt and anger at them. He turned to his men. "Make sure they are taken care of, please," he said. All of his soldiers saluted and set to work. They knew that Fire Lord Zuko was right and just. Zuko and Katara left the ship and made their way toward his, with Zuko carrying Katara, as she was too weak to walk.

"Thank you…" she managed to whisper, and lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**The second chapter is up! Haha yeah yeah it's a day early but you guys like it better that way, right? lol (On my profile I've said that I usually upload on Wednesdays) If it's too long, sorry! And thank you so much to Julymoon for the advice and to Darkness Inside, an anonymous reader, Ruby of Raven, and DeadlyAssult for reviewing and giving me a reason to continue! :D free cake for all of you! **

**Arigatou, ne! Reviews with criticism is very helpful and appreciated, and, as always, completely optional :)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine (as of now...mwahahahahahahahahahaaaa! just kidding, it never will be)  
**

Zuko returned to the ship, yelling orders and telling his crew a very short version of what happened. Iroh walked up on deck and sleepily rubbed his eyes.

"What is all of this about, nephew? Why—" he looked down and saw Katara. His face turned grim. He took Zuko's arm and partially dragged him to the Infirmary. The old general opened the door and hurried them in. The doctor looked up in surprise at the sudden intrusion, and his eyes widened at the reason why they had come.

"By Agni…"

Zuko set Katara gently down on the table.

"What can heal her?" he asked, worried. He had not heard from his friend for months, and finding her chained in a pirate ship was more than enough to make him worry. The doctor looked at her wounds. There were whip marks, evidence of flogging, scratches, puncture wounds; her feet looked raw and were covered in blisters, and her arms had rope marks on them: she had been tied up, and very tightly. The doctor took out several medicines, gauzes, bandages, and a large bucket each of water and ice. He warmed the water with fire from his hand. He washed his hands using a clean, damp towel, and was about to begin treating her wounds when there was a sudden loud noise, with several yells joining it. A soldier limped to the open door.

"Pirates… attack…wounded…" he panted, leaning against the door frame. Iroh and the doctor looked alarmed.

"Nephew, you stay here and watch your friend, we will go up there and fight off the pirates!" Iroh yelled, and all three men left, with the doctor carrying a medicinal bag. Zuko sat down and crossed his arms. _Damn pirates_, he thought, but he knew that he must not go up, because if he were captured… Zuko shuddered. There would be _another _ war, this time for the throne, as Zuko was not married and had no children. Mai had left him for another man, breaking up with him a week after they had gotten back together. Zuko glared at the wall, recalling how Mai had casually left him. _She had no idea how much that hurt,_ thought Zuko. He was startled as Katara began to move, groaning in pain.

He rolled up his sleeves, cleaned his hands, and began washing Katara's wounds gently with a clean, warm, damp towel. He grimaced at her winces; he knew how it must feel.

"I'm so sorry Katara" he whispered as he rubbed medicine into her wounds. Katara's eyes opened at the sound of her name, and she looked ready to scream from the sting. But when she saw Zuko's face, she relaxed slightly, but whimpered from the pain.

"…Zu…ko…Zu…I…" Zuko smiled gently at her, and held her hand.

"Don't worry Katara, you'll be okay, just hold on," he said softly, stroking her hair, hoping to calm her down. She quieted down, but held his hand tightly. The Fire Lord deftly began bandaging her arm and wrist wounds with one hand (having had plenty of experience during the War), not wanting to loosen Katara's hold on his left hand, but eventually having to. He hoped she could not hear the sounds of fighting from the upper deck as he bound ice packs to her feet. She flinched from the pain and sudden cold, but did not cry. After she was all patched up (Zuko had asked her to roll over onto her stomach so that he could treat her back; the scars were hideous and he had felt another surge of anger at the pirates), he carried her to his room and laid her onto his bed.

"Here are some clothes, I'm sorry, but they're all I have, do you think you can dress yourself?" he asked as he handed her one of his shirts and a pair of pants. She nodded, smiling, whispering "Thank you" to him as he closed the door. Zuko sat in the hallway and sighed, rubbing his temples. The pirates had attacked the ship, but his men had won and there were no casualties, only a whole lot of scratches on the hull. The pirates were arrested and a fourth of his men had invaded the pirate ship, and were currently sailing the people home. Zuko looked at his hands and rested his head against the wall of the corridor. Katara was there. _Why_ was Katara there? he wondered. He knew from several encounters that she was very tough to beat, and that she could take care of herself and did not like being suppressed. She had been so weak, there in the Infirmary. He had been shocked. It was almost like the Katara he knew had been driven deep into her mind; she would not speak above a whisper. But she was recovering _very _quickly, he noted. Zuko supposed that seeing him and escaping had probably shocked her, so, since she had little strength due to malnourishment, she had fainted. He frowned. That didn't explain her whispering…he whirled around as his door opened suddenly. Katara smiled slightly at him, wearing his crimson shirt and black pants. Her hair was down, wavy and dark, but it was in want for a wash. Zuko looked at her for a moment, his mouth slightly opened, until he remembered himself and quickly stood up, banging his head on the door handle. Katara giggled softly. Zuko grinned, wincing a little, but managed to look fine as he escorted Katara to the dining room. Iroh was already there with lots of hot food. Katara gazed in wonder at all the food, not having seen more than a loaf of bread to be shared among all of the captives per week, and looked at Zuko for some sign of approval. He nodded and led her to a chair. She smiled her thanks at him and began to eat hungrily. Zuko stood shocked for a moment, his eyes wide, but then recovered himself and sat at his chair at the head of the table (he was, after all, Fire Lord). There were two loaves of bread, three kinds of soups and stews, a fruit basket, a plate of grilled meats, some chopped vegetables, a few bowls of rice, moon-peach wine, crystal clear water, and a bowl of something mushy-looking. Iroh looked slightly alarmed and amused. "Miss Katara, you must slow down! You will make yourself sick if you eat too fast!" Katara heard him, grinned sheepishly, and slowed down. Fire Lord Zuko looked oddly at the bowl of… whatever it was, and offered it to Katara. She looked at it in curiosity.

"What is it?" she asked, with her head to the side. Zuko blushed bright red, almost matching his robes.

"I—, er… it's… they're sea prunes! My Uncle, uh, found them at a stall, and, um, bought them. I tried to stew them, like I knew you liked…" he trailed off, looking away, obviously embarrassed. Katara beamed.

"Zuko, that's so kind of you!" she said, softly, although it was obvious that she was trying to exclaim it louder. She took the bowl and looked at it, then, using her fork, placed it into her mouth and began to chew thoughtfully. Her face changed into something unreadable, and Zuko began worrying. Katara swallowed, and looked at him gratefully. "It tastes wonderful!" she said, then added: "but it tastes different from the Southern Water Tribe style. More like Northern Water Tribe style…" but Zuko looked happy all the same. She had liked it and that was all that matters. But then Katara's face fell.

"Miss Katara, what's wrong?" asked General Iroh. Katara sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with a napkin.

"It's just, eating these reminds me of my home, and, and when I think of that, I think of what happened, and the pirates, and, and—" she broke down crying. Iroh looked grave.

"I think dinner's over." Zuko looked at his uncle, who nodded and began clearing up the table. The Fire Lord gently picked up Katara bridal style and carried her back to his room. Opening the door, he found her old, dirty gray robe that she was wearing on the ship folded neatly and lying innocently on the floor of his cabin. He set her down on his bed and kneeled, picking up the offensive garment. He looked her in the eye and asked her, "Katara, may I burn this?" She nodded her head violently 'yes'.

"Please. Destroy it, burn it, and curse it to Koh," she said. Zuko nodded and walked out.

Katara calmed herself down, but started to hiccup. She cursed herself angrily. _Here you are in Fire Lord Zuko's room, and you're crying like a child! Dinner was ruined because of you, how thoughtless! _Her self-chastising was interrupted by Zuko who had returned, holding a napkin.

"Here, Katara," he offered, but was almost knocked off his feet when Katara ran to him, hugging his waist tightly. "Woah, Katara, let me breathe!" he joked. It worked. She accepted the napkin and smiled through blurry, red-rimmed eyes at him.

"Thanks, Zuko." He noticed that her voice was getting stronger. He smiled, and turned and closed the door. Katara looked confused. "Zuko, what are you—" he held a single finger up.

"I want to ask you a few questions. If I thought letting you sleep and asking you tomorrow would be less painful to you, I would, believe me. But I know it'll be worse. So I'm asking you now. I'm sorry." Katara shook her head again.

"No, no; it's fine, I'll *hiccup* be okay, what is it you want to know?" Zuko took a deep breath.

"Did the pirates dishonor you?" he asked, worry evident in his eyes. Katara started to laugh slightly hysterically.

"Is this what that was all about? You close the door, look so serious, like someone _died_, and make me think you want me to tell you some war-secret of the pirates and you ask me if I was _dishonored_? Zuko, that *hiccup* is so kind of you!" she said through her tears. Zuko was suddenly defensive.

"Yes, that was what it was all about, because what if you were raped? I would have to go kill every single pirate that forced himself on you, and then I'd have to worry about whether or not your health would be okay, or if you were pregnant, and if you think for _one moment_ that I'm going to just _let_ some filthy thief use and hurt one of my greatest friends—" he shook his head. "Well, I'm glad that you're okay. Now get some rest. You looked half dead when I found you." Katara blushed, but then looked around the room, confused.

"Zuko, where shall I sleep?" she asked hesitantly. He rolled his eyes.

"The bed. _Duh_. Silly, Katara, where did you think you'd sleep? On the floor?" Katara still looked puzzled.

"But then where will _you _sleep?" she asked. Zuko pointed to the carpet on the floor.

"There." She looked scandalized.

"You can't sleep on the _floor_!" Zuko looked down at her haughtily, challenging her.

"And why not? I am _Fire Lord_," he said haughtily, and both of them collapsed into fits of laughter at his mock-childishness. Katara wiped some tears of laughter from her eyes, but then turned serious again.

"But seriously. You shouldn't sleep on the floor." The Waterbender looked worried.

"Why not, Katara?" Zuko said, trying his best to look innocent.

"Well, because… because… um, because you'll catch cold," she said lamely, being unable to think of a better excuse. Zuko sighed and hit his palm against his forehead.

"Katara, I will be fine, I'm a Firebender: I have my own body heat. As for _you_, by Decree of the Fire Lord, you shall sleep on my bed, warm and without worries, because I will be right here, and no one, not even my uncle, has permission to enter my quarters without my saying so. And another thing: you're the only girl on this entire ship. I don't trust you to be in your own room by yourself, because, well, you're a girl, and I'm not trying to be sexist right now, and if I am I apologize, but these men have been at sea for a while, and… well, they might not be able to control themselves at the sight of a beautiful young lady in her room alone…" Katara blushed scarlet.

"Oh… well, thank you Zuko. I, um, well, I guess I'll go to sleep now," she said, and went to the bed. Climbing in with difficulty (she stubbornly refused help from Zuko), she lay in the middle of the bed, marveling at the softness of the mattress and covers. Zuko sat next to her and kissed her forehead softly, his lips ghosting her skin.

"Sweet dreams, Katara," he murmured softly, and grinned at her shock.

"Good night, Zuko," she said with a wistful, almost lovesick smile. She drifted off to sleep in what seemed like mere seconds, smiling softly again as she watched Zuko lay down to sleep on the carpet. As she welcomed the darkness that quietly engulfed her in a spell of deep, black sleep.

And then she screamed.


	3. Chapter 3

She was falling; falling down a deep, bottomless pit. At least, that's what it felt like. After what seemed like hours, Katara hit a hard surface with a _thud. _"Ow," she said, wincing. The Waterbender got up and looked around. It was pitch black, but she was illuminated. Suddenly, leering eyes appeared in the darkness. Dozens and dozens of pairs glowed yellow and red in the void. Sinister laughter echoed in her ears. _Join us, Katara… embrace the darkness… the dark is good… don't be afraid, we won't hurt you_… "Mom?" she asked, frightened. _Oh, sweetheart, don't worry: you'll be fine if you join the darkness. You can see me again. Yue's here too, weren't you friends? _said her mother's voice. Then Aang's voice floated to her. _Katara… I'm so sorry, I made a mistake… but it won't happen again, I promise. If you join us, we'll be together again…_ "AAAHHH!" All of a sudden Katara felt extreme pain, and fell to the ground, writhing around, trying to escape from the pain; it was too much to fight. "NO!" she cried, and felt something clutch her arm. "Get off me!" she screamed, panicking, because her mind was telling her that the thing was evil, that it would hurt her. "Katara? Katara, are you okay? Wake up! Katara, wake up!" Twisting and struggling, she hit something hard with her hand. Suddenly, the void vanished, she was back in Zuko's bed, and he was sitting next to her, rubbing his nose.

"Damn Katara, that hurt," he joked. "What happened? You looked like you were having a terrible nightmare. Are you okay?" he asked, concern and worry in his molten gold eyes. Katara looked at him for a minute and collapsed into his arms, shaking and sobbing her heart out. Bewildered, the Fire Lord awkwardly patted her back and stroked her hair, trying to be soothing. They stayed like that for a while; eventually Katara calmed down enough to hiccup and hyperventilate. Zuko held her tight.

"Are you alright? No, wait, I mean, I know you're not, but, do you feel better?" Zuko asked, uneasy with Katara's behavior: this wasn't like the Katara he knew. This one was hurt, troubled, and deeply. He so desperately wanted to absorb that pain, that hurt, and destroy it. But, he couldn't. Not unless he knew what was wrong. Katara looked away from him, embarrassed and ashamed.

"I— nothing. It was just a bad dream. There were all these voices… I heard my mother again. And Aang… he…he said that he would take me back if I joined the darkness… but the darkness was so c-cold and there were so many… so many _eyes,_ staring at me, and…and…oh Zuko, I'm so sorry, this is the second time I've cried about something silly… I'm sorry…" she trailed off, tears forming in her eyes again, stinging and hot. Zuko gently turned her head to face him.

"Take you…back?" he inquired softly. Katara nodded through her tears.

"He broke up with me because he said that, as the Avatar, he could not have any ties, so he left me and… flew away…" She jerked her head away.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," she whispered, and looked at him through red-rimmed eyes. Instinctively, Zuko brushed away her tears with his hand and kissed her forehead softly, like feathers lazily brushing against skin from a small breeze on a mild summer's night. Both froze, shocked by what just happened, but Zuko somehow managed to look okay about it. Katara smiled softly, the corners of her mouth just barely rising, and thanked him. Zuko held her hand.

"I'll stay here the whole night, just to wake you up if you have another nightmare, okay? I'll be here, don't worry. Now go to sleep." Katara's face had an unreadable expression, but she nodded and lay back down, clutching Zuko's hand like a child would. She fell asleep once more; as Zuko watched her eyes flutter twice before closing he wished so deeply that he could heal her pain.


	4. Chapter 4

**I am so, so sorry to everyone who has been waiting for me to update. **

**But the earthquakes have gone, and we have power again (yay!), and I've gotten over my writer's block, so now, here's an update! (The next chapter is almost done, I'm just putting this up. Yes, it's short, and I do regret that).**

**Thank you Julymoon (thanks so much!), Megz95 (don't worry, I will), DeadlyAssult (you're welcome! ), Ruby of Raven (it's gonna get worse! ;3 ), SnoopyGirl213 (such a cute username!), and Zutarawins (thanks!) for all the reviews, support, and waiting for me to update ;D  
**

**Disclaimer: You know it, I know it, everyone knows it: unfortunately, I do NOT own Zuko (/3) or Avatar: the Last Airbender, because trust me, if I did, boy, that movie would have been a _hell_ of a lot better. Just sayin. **

It took an eternity to reach morning. Zuko's head was on his shoulder, and he was just about to nod off to sleep (and probably fall off the bed onto the floor) when Katara moved. Alert in a flash, Zuko glanced at her. She stirred again, and yawned, before abruptly sitting up and stared at her surroundings.

"Where in the name of—oh! Zuko!" she exclaimed, and got up to hug him.

"Oof," said Zuko, and shook his head to stave off sleep. "Well, I'm glad you're okay. You were having nightmares last night." He smiled at her and was about to offer breakfast when Katara frowned.

"Did I? I don't remember any…" she said, and looked at him strangely and giggled. "Maybe it's _you_ who's been having the nightmares, Zuko!" she laughed gaily and got up off the bed. Puzzled but glad at her happiness, the young Fire Lord quickly got up too.

"Wait here, I should go get you some other clothes to wear—" he said, but was stopped by the Waterbender.

"It's fine Zuko. But thanks anyway," she said, smiling. He began to ponder her words, and wondered if he really did fall asleep and simply imagined her nightmares. _But then how did I get on the bed?_ He shook his head and offered Katara his arm and led her to breakfast.

**(Sorry about the shortness of this chapter, and how it's taking a bit longer than I thought to get this really going. *Hugs and hands out chocolate chip cookies to everyone* But I really enjoyed the reviews; don't worry, I don't intend to quit writing this story! Thanks guys!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone...**

**I owe every reader out there a big, huge, ashamed, and wayyy overdue apology for not updating for so. damn. long.**

**Gomennasai! x(**

***distributes free cookies and ice cream to everyone***

**Disclaimer: If it were mine, it would be completely Zutara and Taang, and there'd be more people like Jet. Easy bashing dummies ;D**

**SHOUTOUT: Hi, Julianna aka CrazyJulz! Thank you for the numerous reviews xD (This is also to everyone who is reading:) I have everything planned out! Don't worry, hopefully soon (depending on the flow of the story and my lazy $$ slowness) you shall find out Why Katara is having the dreams, What is going on, and what the Hell the whispering is from ;)**

** Don't worry, I have no intention of writing 'Zula', unless Zuko is trying to be mean to her (like she calls him 'Zuzu', which is SUCH an adorable nickname! 3 3 3). I, too, dislike it when writers do that D:**

**Thank you EVERYONE ELSE who complimented my writing. Aww, I blushed -_- I do so dislike blushing 3**

**RedRoses224: I love your username! It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland :)**

**Julymoon: I shall persevere! I intend to write much, much more as fast as I can! I'm so sorry to everyone! D,:**

**ALSO TO EVERYONE WHO IS READING THIS: I am seriously considering changing my username. If and when I do, I shall write it in one of my stories so you know where to find me. I know its incredibly inconvenient, but... I _am_ the Chaos Angel! :D**

**The sequel to Accidental Kiss will be up in... five minutes!  
**

**ON WITH THE SHOOOOOW!**

Breakfast was rather awkward, but enjoyable. Iroh had already eaten and had left, so that they would be alone. Which was slightly uncomfortable because Zuko was still worried for Katara, but she seemed to be enjoying herself, and lightened the mood.

There were loaves of bread, jams, fresh fruit, clear wine, juice, and, of course, water. Katara seemed so _different_. Zuko rested his chin on his hand as his mind tried to analyze the situation.

_Katara doesn't remember having nightmares. So how did I end up on her bed? Did I sleepwalk? _No, I've never sleepwalked. Azula made sure of that. _So that rules that out. _Look on the bright side! Her voice has returned, and she's happy now! _Well, yeah… as long as she's happy…but Aang took that away: she took that hurt and buried it. Damn it Katara, you should stop doing that! You—_

"Zuko?" The Fire Lord's head snapped up.

"Huh?"

"You were staring at your wine. Are you alright?" Katara's smile had managed to worm its way into her voice too, not content with simply being on her beautiful face.

Zuko got the distinct feeling that she was laughing, inside.

"No, I'm fine… just tired…" he mumbled, and blushed. She was probably thinking that he was crazy. _Staring at wine_, _you idiot. At least look thoughtful when thinking things over!_ he chided himself. He forced a smile: Katara was starting to worry.

When Katara started to worry, it was a subconscious thing, really. She didn't even notice it until she _really_ started worrying. It was cute (in Zuko's royal opinion), but it got frustrating when she would think of others all the time, and barely took time off for herself, even when she was in danger. She wasn't stupid: she took care of her own wounds quickly, so as not to get an infection, but still…

"Katara, would you like to visit the Library?" Katara immediately brightened and forgot her worry.

"You have a Library on this ship?"

"Of course. It's not very big, though."

The Fire Lord offered his arm to Katara and she took it as he led her to the Library. "I won't mind. Thank you, Zuko!"

(The remains of breakfast lay forgotten until Iroh found the leftovers.)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
The Library was in Zuko's second room: only those with permission were allowed in there (It was filled with ancient manuscripts and priceless scrolls: Zuko enjoyed reading). It had shelves all around, and had a comfortable seat in the middle. The room was warm but not stuffy.

Katara looked around in awe.

Zuko allowed himself a small smirk at his cleverness: with Katara distracted, perhaps her nightmares would dissipate.

And it would seem so, judging from her smiles and interest in the scrolls.

She took a particular interest in a gold-embossed scroll describing Waterbending… _just like when I got those filthy pirates to help me find the Avatar…_remembered Zuko. Her hair was shorter then, and she still wore hair-loopies… his usually stern face allowed a small smile

There was a knock on the door, bringing Zuko back to reality. Katara did not look up from her reading. Zuko opened the door and saw a bowing officer on the other side.

"Captain?" He bowed respectfully to his Lord and then to the guest, who remained unaware of what was going on.

"Sir, do we have a heading? Where should we sail to? The men have restocked our supplies and are ready and waiting to leave."

Zuko looked over his shoulder at Katara, who was reaching for a different scroll and began poring over the words, and nodded at his captain.

"We leave in ten minutes," Zuko ordered, and his officer bowed once more and left.

He pulled out a map from his stack of scrolls and set it beside Katara.

"Where would you like to be dropped off?" he asked. She looked up from her reading and frowned.

"I…I don't know. I was going to go to Toph's place before I was… before the Pirates kidnapped me… and now I don't know where I should go." Tears started welling up in her cerulean eyes, breaking Zuko's heart. He moved closer to her and gave her a hug.

"Maybe you could send a letter to her," he suggested, pulling away after a minute. "Let her know what happened. How long were you… There?" Katara looked away.

"I don't know. Maybe two, three months," she choked out. Her voice sounded hoarser the more she talked.

Zuko grew worried.

"How about we just tell her everything? We can ask her advice and she can tell you what would be best." His golden eyes searched her face anxiously, but his face was sure of itself, confident.

It was a good thing he learned how to hide his _true _emotions. He didn't want to worry Katara.

His heart leaped when the corners of her mouth twitched into a half-smile.

"Okay…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh my gosh. **

**If any of you are left here, please just let me thank you so very much for sticking around even though I had put this on a MAJOR Haitus. Shame, shame, _shame_ on me. **

**Today is a free day, and I will be uploading AT LEAST three chapters today! It's the least I can do for you guys. I'm very sorry, and I hope you enjoy! The next part should come up soon (and I MEAN IT. TODAY. I. WILL. UPLOAD. MORE. DAMN. CHAPTERS! :D )  
**

**Standard disclaimers apply**

* * *

"_Princess… Come to the darkness… Embrace the COLD… Embrace it…_" Whispers, cold and harsh, tickled Katara's ears as she fell, once again, through the seemingly bottomless emptiness. _Princess? I'm not a princess… _

Something cold enveloped her body as soothing murmurs were whispered aloud, comforting yet repulsive, entrancing yet terrifying.

"Mom?"

"_Darling, why don't you join the darkness? Your friends are here, and so is your brother…_" An image of Sokka appeared behind Katara's closed eyelids.

"S-S-Sokka? W-w-what happened to you? And your eyes?" His once-blue eyes were black, tinged with red. He smiled warmly at his sister.

"_This? This is nothing. Just a minor injury, don't worry, little sis. Just welcome the cold, the darkness, and everything will be fine, Princess…_"

Half of Katara's brain begged her to wake up, pleading and beseeching her conscious to end the nightmare, but the other half sat, enchanted, as a child watching a macabre magic show.

_Wait a minute, _she thought; _I'm not a Princess… Sokka _never _called me that before… _

She heard Zuko's voice calling out towards her.

"Katara! Katara, wake up! Please, wake up!"

"Zuko? _Aaaaagh!_" Hands, cold, clammy, and bony, began clawing at her, tearing her skin, holding and grabbing at her in a frantic attempt to keep her there. "_Zuko!_"

Abruptly, Katara sat up and began taking in long, shaky breaths. Her skin glistened with a thin layer of sweat, and her hands were fists, tangled in Zuko's bed sheets.

She was alone.


	7. Chapter 7

**WOOT! Twenty minutes, that's a record! Heh, alright: either many many short chapters or a few long ones. I'm just trying to get this to _flow, _you know? So I apologize for any and all inconveniences, frustration, and consequences of impatience. Enjoy.  
**

* * *

_I am safe._

_No one will hurt me._

_These are just dreams._

_I am safe._

_Zuko will protect me._

_I will protect myself._

_The pirates are gone._

_I am safe._

Katara repeated the words over and over again in her head, trying to clear her mind from the night before.

She sat on the top deck of Zuko's ship, sitting as far up the bow as she could without bringing discomfort on herself.

_Although… maybe discomfort may distract me from those… nightmares… _Katara mused silently. Sighing and closing her eyes, she continued silently repeating her mantra as she heard the waves crash against the hull, the birds sing, and the ocean whispering to her.

"Katara?" If she was startled by Zuko's sudden voice, she did not show it. He reached his hand out and touched her shoulder, nearly drawing back when he felt how cold it was. "Katara?" he whispered again, wrapping an arm around her.

"You're trembling…" Hastily he began warming his body with his inner fire, hoping to calm the Waterbender down. Tears began cascading down her face, dripping on her lap, staining the blue cloth darkly.

"I… I heard my mother again…" she whispered hoarsely. "And… and Sokka… oh Zuko, Sokka looked terrifying, and…" she buried her head in Zuko's shoulder, crying shamelessly. He patted her back awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

He settled for whispering softly to her, rubbing her back soothingly, and raising his temperature to calm her down.

"Shh… it's okay, Katara… they're just nightmares, they won't hurt you… I'm here…" He looked about to say something more, but suddenly Iroh ran up to them.

"Nephew… Miss Bei Fong has sent a reply."


	8. Chapter 8

**I have no idea how Toph stole the letter from her parents. Just... use your impatient, frustrated imaginations, eh? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA, nor do I own that epic Pirates of the Caribbean line. Just sayin'  
**

* * *

_Hey Sugar Queen._

_Are you alright? I mean, I've been worried sick and then, out of NOWHERE, Sparky sends me a letter. If he's there with you, remind him that I'm _BLIND_. _

_Mom and Dad are being super over-protective, so I went to King Bumi and asked him for help. I hope you can read his handwriting. I know I can't! _

_From what I can gather from Princey's message, you were kidnapped by pirates? Sounds terrifying! Did you give them a good hit in the kisser? He said that you weren't raped. Good. Disgusting idiots. _

_Stay with Sparky. Stay safe. _

_Oh, and go home. Maybe you're just really homesick, and that's why you're having nightmares? I don't know. _

_Toph Bei Fong _

* * *

Katara and Zuko looked up from the messy scroll, smiling slightly at Toph's humor.

"Captain!"

The officer ran up to the two.

"Sir?"

"We have our heading! Make full speed to the Southern Water Tribe."


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, now that I have my creative juices sufficiently bleeding out of my fingertips...  
**

* * *

A week crawled by, slow as a snail. Katara's nightmares were occurring more and more frequently, and Zuko was growing _extremely _worried.

She would settle down for a nap and wake up screaming.

She would be sparring with Zuko on deck and see horrific visions, and start recklessly fighting her hallucinations.

On one occasion, she nearly fell overboard, desperately calling out to Sokka, hallucinating him drowning. The crew was becoming increasingly nervous, wondering if she would have a mental breakdown just like Zuko's sister.

But, they did anything and everything in their power to help Katara. They would play games with her to distract her; they would slip potent drugs into her tea to give her dreamless slumbers; and they hurried with all speed towards the South Pole with the hope of saving one of the heroes of the War.

Zuko sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to clear out his head and figure out what in the name of Agni was going on.

_Katara was kidnapped by pirates._

_She was _not _dishonoured, but there are several wounds all over her. _

_She is perfectly normal during the day, almost just like the Katara I knew, but speaks in a hoarse voice or in whispers when talking about the pirates or her dreams_

_So, there is a connection between her voice and her nightmares._

_Therefore, something obviously happened in that hull._

_Maybe she saw someone being tortured to death?_

_No, that doesn't make sense: the pirates would want their prisoners _alive_, to get more money out of them, and they wouldn't beat a person to death unless they were enemies…_

_What about Aang?_

_Maybe their break-up has something to do with this?_

_It's a thought…_

_Maybe Katara caught a foreign fever in the brig? And maybe it's messing with her mind. Yeah, that would make sense… wait… no, not really… Katara would never hallucinate stuff like _that_… The 'cold'? Why in Agni's name would 'cold' be bad in her nightmares? She's from the South Pole, she grew up with freezing temperatures! This is all so… ugh. So she's most likely got a fever… _

He laid his head down on his desk and groaned. He knew little about fevers and less on how to cure them, unless they were normal illnesses.

"…Zuko?" The young Fire Lord sat up suddenly, quick enough to make him see stars from the sudden change in blood pressure. He winced and applied pressure to his head to make it go away faster. There was a soft giggle from the doorway.

"You okay?" Katara asked softly, smiling at her friend. He grinned up at her and gave her a gentle shove.

"You're making fun of me," he said, teasing her. She blushed but rolled her eyes.

"Oh, no, I'd be much too afraid to tease a _Fire Prince_," she countered. Zuko stood up, looking down at her.

"That's _Fire Lord_, thank you _very _much," he grinned, and took up a sparring stance. Katara followed his lead and searched for a source of water, when she noticed that his window was open. Grinning, she bended the ocean to her will and began fighting with Zuko in his cabin, taking extra care to not dampen any documents.

Instead, she dampened his _hair. _

Countering his attack with a wall of seawater, she raised another wall, this one of steam, and crept around so that she was behind Zuko, and bended a waterball to dump on his ponytail. He hissed at the sudden cold hitting his head and whirled around.

"_Cheater_," he grumbled. Katara smiled sweetly.

"Winner," she corrected.

There was a sudden jolt of the ship, strong enough to knock the young Waterbender off her feet and land into the arms of her Lord. Both of them blushing, they climbed up on deck to see what was going on.

The captain bowed to his guest and gestured vaguely off-ship.

"Welcome home, Miss Katara."


	10. Chapter 10

**H'okay, last chapter for today.**

**I UPDATED! WOO! BREAK OUT THE CONFETTI~! hahaha just kidding, it was about time for me to move my lazy a$$... ^^;**

**Patty Cake Rocks, thank you for your review! I tried! Hahaha**

**SnoopyGirl213, do I detect a hint of... *gasp* _Sarcasm? _Hahaha jk sorry they're short...**

**CrazyJulz16, I UPDATED! Hey... CrazyJulz? CrazyJulz? ... uh oh. She died from lack of updates... O.o (everyone, shhhhh! The police don't know, and they're not _gonna _know, okay?) Heheheh**

**Julymoon, ...I'm terribly sorry for the lack of updates. I'm pretty sure you're disappointed and... I hope this makes up for it? (Me: Not a chance :/ )**

** CasperAce13, thank you for your keen observation. I shall try to not make the same mistake again, but at this point it's kind of late, so let's all pretend Katara's feet are VERY quick healers? :)**

**RedRoses224, (love the name btw) I hope this suffices? **

**ALRIGHT, on with the shooooooow!  
**

* * *

The frigid air of the South Pole was filled with cries of rejoice and surprise. The Southern Water Tribe had not seen a Fire Nation Warship since that fateful day when Aang reawakened, and many wondered what news it brought from the other lands.

As the boarding ramp was lowered, Katara ran over it (causing Zuko to shout "_Be careful!_" at her as it was still moving) and rushed to embrace her father, Chief Hakoda. It was a teary and happy reunion as father hugged daughter with love and worry. Zuko and Iroh walked down the ramp (once it was fully down) and bowed low to Katara's father.

"Chief Hakoda," greeted Fire Lord Zuko. Iroh smiled at the puzzled warrior and proceeded to shake his hand.

"Hello, sir!" he said, his voice jolly. The villagers immediately warmed up to them after seeing that they weren't under any threat and that their Waterbender was back with them.

Katara whispered something in her father's ear and looked at her friend, giggling slightly. Then, her face changed into one of grave seriousness, as she whispered in his ear some more. Hakoda looked from his daughter to the slightly uncomfortable Fire Lord and walked up to him.

"My daughter says very interesting things. I think we should have a talk, the three of us. If your uncle wishes to join us, he may."

Zuko glanced uneasily at his uncle and nodded, following the two into a large igloo, as he wondered what Katara had said.

…..

It was a long and uncomfortable hour as Hakoda grilled Zuko for details on what happened. He asked many questions and looked extremely worried. Not that Zuko could blame him. After all, his only daughter had joined forces with several other teens and had set out to save the world, and then lost her boyfriend, and _then _got herself kidnapped by filthy, lusty pirates.

At least Zuko wasn't the only one uncomfortable. Katara was blushing profusely when Hakoda asked about the two, inquiring whether or not they were "together", and if they had sex, and if they did, did they use protection?

After several things were cleared up (Katara soundlessly begged Zuko to not mention her nightmares), Hakoda nodded, mostly satisfied and yet still worrying and curious, emerged from the igloo to face his tribe. He made a long speech about what had happened, and captivated the listeners as he described how a Fire Lord had saved his beloved daughter. Once he finished the story, he clapped his hands twice.

"That's the signal for dinner," a Water Tribe girl whispered to Zuko. Giggling, she took Zuko's hand (she couldn't have been more than twelve) and led him to the Dining Hall.

It was a sort of misnomer, actually. It wasn't a _hall_, it was just a rather large igloo made sometime during the absence of Hakoda's children. Zuko and Iroh joined Hakoda, Gran Gran, and Katara at the far end of the igloo, where they were served sea prunes and something that vaguely looked Fire Nation.

Regardless, the food was delicious and the fires warm.

After dinner, several younger children surrounded Katara and began cooing over her, asking about her adventures and braiding her hair, trying to help as much as possible. They gasped when Katara showed them some of her scars, and listened in awe as she recounted (and possibly exaggerated _just a bit_) about her adventures with the Avatar. Zuko smiled. Evidently, she was having fun being treated like royalty by the children.

He jumped slightly when Hakoda began talking to him.

"Will you be staying the night?" he asked softly. Zuko shook his head politely.

"I wouldn't want to impose, sir, and besides, I have a ship. We'll be gone by tomorrow morning, if you want." Hakoda sighed.

"You needn't hurry off. I'm sorry if I scared you a bit. I'm just… so _worried _about my little Katara. Well, she's not little anymore… but still I am concerned for her… she flies around the world and gets in fights and spies, breaks in, and steals. Not that it was bad, during the war… I'm just worried that some of _Her_ supporters will want revenge on my daughter… Thank you so much for rescuing her," he said, turning to face Zuko. "We're all grateful to have her back with us. What can we do in return?"

Zuko looked taken aback.

"N-n-nothing, sir," Zuko said nervously, laughing. "It's not like we could just _leave _Katara with those disgusting excuses for humans. Although… would it be too much trouble to ask for permission to anchor here in one month's time?"

Hakoda's face was unreadable. There was a thoughtful pause, and Zuko was beginning to fear the answer when the Chief nodded.

"Of course. Now, it's late. You should get to bed. As should _you_, Katara," he said, smiling at his daughter, who mock-scowled as she continued walking towards them.

"I'm not eight, Dad. Besides, it's not that la—"

"Katara… go get some sleep," laughed Zuko. Honest to Agni and back, she looked so _cute _when she pretended to scowl.

"Sweet dreams…"

* * *

**_A/N: Oooh, is there some speculation on who exactly said 'Sweet dreams'? Guess, hahaha!_**

**Oh, and a QUIZ for you dearly beloved, loyal readers out there who've stuck with me this far.**

** Who thinks they know what's happened to Katara?**

**Yes, it has something to do with Pirates. Zuko's got a close guess, too... (mwahahaha)**

**Until next time! (Hopefully by next week, but NO LATER THAN THAT. If it is, I give you all permission to shoot me with a BB gun. Really.) Heheheh, take care!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Kind of OOC: my apologies. **

* * *

Katara yawned as she woke up and stretched, before freezing and glancing around her bed.

_This isn't Zuko's bedroom… _Glancing around nervously, she saw that she was in her old home in the South Pole. Giggling nervously, she hit her head with the palm of her hand and muttered insults at herself.

"Silly Katara, that wasn't a dream! You really _are _home, you stupid ninny!" Laughing, she began dancing by herself in the cramped space, when she suddenly heard lots of shouting outside. Her face paled.

_No freaking way… _Dashing outside, she saw Zuko, Iroh, and several Fire Nation crewmembers walking up the ramp to their ship, their arms laden with several packages of food. _Zuko's leaving?_

Running to her rescuer, she looked up at him.

"What's going on? Where are you going?" she asked, panicking slightly. They had only just arrived! She was planning to show Zuko some of the most beautiful icebergs around, and…

Zuko smiled and set his stuff down on deck before returning to hug her tightly.

"We'll only be gone a month, Katara. And I promise, I'll find out why you're having nightmares. I'll save you. Promise," he said, and with that, gave her a final wave before ordering his crew to set sail.

The next fifteen minutes happened too fast for Katara to comprehend.

Zuko. Zuko was gone. And for a month, she'd have no news of the outside world.

Sinking to her knees, she realized just how much she had wanted Zuko to stay. Clawing mindlessly with one hand at the snow on the ground, she watched as the iron ship sailed over the horizon and left them, her world*, and herself.

Picking herself up, she ambled towards her bed in her igloo and crawled in, burrowing into the countless blankets and fur pelts, and went into a troubled sleep.

A cold voice cackled somewhere.

"_Sweet dreams, … my Princess…_"

* * *

**_* Her world: the South Pole, since that was her home and literally, her world before Aang, before the attacks, and before her mother's death. And even then, it was still her world, a safe haven. (I'm attempting to be dramatic, so bear with me, lol)_**

****_ "left them, her world, and herself": borrowed from J K Rowling's_ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, _when Dumbledore dies. _**

**_A/N: Katara's just disoriented and shocked that Zuko left. She'll get better in the next chapters!_**

**OH! and before I forget: Nah, Iroh didn't say "Sweet dreams," in the last chapter. That would be Hakoda, seeing as he had absolutely no idea that that may have been a mad thing to say, seeing as Zuko did not tell him of Katara's nightmares.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Short... I know :/  
But we're getting there, we're getting there :)  
OH. And, for this story, just forget Katara gave the waterbending scroll away. It'll help my story along.**

**Enjoy!**

**Oh, and Julymoon... YOU'RE BACK! *squeeze hug* OMG I MISSED YOUUUUUUUU! **

**But enough with the overreaction! ON WITH THE SHOW!**

* * *

The chilly wind from the sky and the salty spray from the sea blew Zuko's long, shaggy hair away from his face and plastered it to his head. He had taken his hair out of his ponytail and cut it: it was getting annoying, and, though he should have looked every bit as royal as he was…

At the moment, he just didn't care. Katara's welfare was more important.

_I hope she's doing all right in the South Pole. _

_Who am I kidding? She'll be safe… _though a strange sense of uneasiness began to pool in his lower abdomen.

_She'll be safe… _

_Right?_

"Nephew… _what _are you doing, sitting on the rail of the ship? If you fell, you would ruin your perfectly good clothes," called the amused voice of his uncle from behind. Zuko ducked his head and grinned to himself.

"Oh, so nothing will happen to _me _if I fall? Just my clothes? Seriously Uncle, you should think about the crewmen too! They'll have to pull me up, and won't that tire them?" called back Zuko. He had missed their friendly bantering.

Iroh smiled mischievously.

"Oh, really, Nephew? I was under the impression that we'd have to leave you behind: Captain's got a bad back and the crew is still cold from our trip!"

Zuko feigned horror, and turned to face his uncle, who merely laughed at the sight of Zuko's expression.

"Hahaha, yes… yes, you _should_ be afraid," he winked. "But do not worry, Fire Lord Zuko, we most likely won't leave you behind. Would you care for some tea?"

Zuko swung his legs around and jumped so that he landed on the deck.

"Yes please, Uncle."

They walked silently to Iroh's personal Tea Room and Zuko sat down as his uncle prepared him some jasmine tea.

"Zuko…" his voice turned grave. "I know you're worried about Miss Katara, as are we all. You seek to cure her… _dilemma_, to put it delicately. And, you know that there are many libraries in the world, filled with ancient scrolls and books alike, but Zuko," he leaned in closer.

"Where will you start?" he asked, worriedly. "Where you go, I will follow, but I would like to know _where _we shall start at, and _what _we will be seeking. It does no good if a beggar knows not what he begs for."

Zuko sighed and ran a pale, elegant hand through his starkly contrasting untidy hair.

"Wan Shi Tong," he said heavily after a long pause.

"We'll go first to the Hidden Library of Wan Shi Tong."

* * *

**A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUUUN. Betcha didn't see THAT one coming, now, did you? Heheheh sorry for the wait!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry to cut the drama short. Heheh.  
Another short chapter. My apologies. Still, better than nothing, eh?**

* * *

Iroh leaned back with a wise nod of his head, and quietly sipped some tea. Zuko reckoned that that library would be the best place to start. All that they needed was some 'knowledge' to contribute, proof that they were using it for good, and—

"Nephew, you do realize that the Library is _hidden_, correct? How shall we get there?"

Zuko froze for a moment.

_Damn. I didn't think of that. _

He sighed again and thought for a moment.

"Sokka said that the Library was buried underground. So… we'll need Earthbenders to lift it back up, or uncover it." Iroh chuckled grimly.

"Fire Lord Zuko, you realize that that would take many Benders to move, correct? Miss Bei Fong will not be able to lift it by herself."

"No, she won't… We'll need to recruit Haru, his father, King Bumi, Toph, and maybe the Kyoshi Warriors will know of other Earthbenders. So we'll go to Omashu first, and then…"

"Nephew, why do you leave out the Avatar? He could greatly help with our endeavour…" Iroh was genuinely curious. To most people, the young Airbender would be the first choice that would come to mind. Zuko looked away.

"I… Air is the opposite of Earth, and I thought perhaps the Avatar would have some trouble…? And that he would not appreciate being interrupted in his numerous duties and responsibilities to do something he did not particularly like."

Iroh sensed hesitation in Zuko's words. True, they weren't lies, but something was being left out, and Iroh would not be ignorant of this.

"He is the Avatar, Fire Lord Zuko. He has to do many things he does not 'particularly like'. There is something else… isn't there?"

Caught.

Of course, Zuko knew that Iroh's sense of perception was great, for he was a great warrior and a legendary general, but he had not expected Iroh to catch on so soon. His resolve to keep his grudge quiet wilted.

"Why do you not want the Avatar accompanying us, Nephew?"

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Zuko looked Iroh in the eyes.

"Aang hurt Katara."

* * *

**A/N: DUNDUNDUUUUUUN! Zuko's feelings for Katara surface! His resentment towards Aang is finally revealed! Hah. Serves that little Airbender _right_.**

**Just to warn y'all now, there will be a lot of Zuko/Aang fighting/tension planned for later on. BUT THIS IS STRICTLY ZUTARA. NOT whatever you crazies call Zuko/Aang :)  
**


	14. Up For AdoptionDiscontinued

Hello, loyal readers, reviewers, and everyone else who's stuck out with me thus far.

I can't stand it. There's no inspiration, no muse, no way to write it without the chapter coming out like crap. I'm not going to give you guys crap after that HUGE wait. I'm sorry.

PM me if you're interested in adopting this/taking over. I KNOW what I said, but life changes your opinions sometimes.

I'll give you the plot, and some ideas, but am retiring from this. It's a true shame.

Thank you all so much for everything: every review, favourite, alert, and message. It means a lot to me, and I'm grateful.

I hope the rest of your day isn't ruined by this shitty Notice.


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